Morgana tortures Merlin by inserting a Fomorroh snake into his neck
Torture is a method which is used to hurt other individuals to either get information, traumatize, punish or manipulate them. Torture can come in forms ranging between giving excruciating mental/emotional pain to the victim and it can involve magic or physical abuse.
Forms of Torture[]
Physical Torture[]
Examples:
- Aredian denied Gaius water and used harsh, edging on violent, treatment of him to force Gaius to confess to sorcery. (The Witchfinder )
- After taking over Camelot for the second time, Morgana used a serpent called the Nathair to torture Elyan for information on Arthur's whereabouts. As a result Elyan was forced to give the information and was incapacitated by the ordeal. (The Sword in the Stone: Part 1) She again used a Nathair in an attempt to torture Alator for information on Emrys's identity though this failed due to Alator's training as a Catha, (The Kindness of Strangers) and again to torture Gwaine for information on Merlin and the mortally wounded Arthur's whereabouts, killing him in the process. (The Diamond of the Day: Part 2)
- When Arthur encountered Morgana again after her second reign of Camelot, Morgana tortured Arthur by enchanting her dagger to slash him repeatedly before attempting to kill him. (Arthur's Bane: Part 2)
- Morgana while disguised as an old woman used an enchanted bracelet to torture Princess Mithian by burning her wrist in order to blackmail her and her father King Rodor into serving her and King Odin in their attempts to kill Arthur. (Another's Sorrow)
Mental/Emotional Torture[]
Examples:
- Alator created a ring of fire around a Gaius that manifested also in Gaius' mind, burning and shedding light on the secrets he kept hidden in the dark recesses of his mind, so that he was manipulated to reveal the secret he holds, the knowledge of Emrys' true identity. (The Secret Sharer)
- Aredian tortured Gaius emotionally with threats of bringing accusations against Merlin, Gaius's ward, and Morgana, whom Gaius had always cared for, unless Gaius confessed to sorcery. In this way, he forced a confession. Afterward, as Gaius awaited his execution, Aredian, out of spite and cruelty, tortured him more by telling him he would still accuse the two people who Gaius had agreed to confess and be executed in order to protect. Some might argue that prior to all of this, Aredian used Belladonna to manipulate three villagers into hallucinating in order to gain witnesses and falsify proof that sorcery is rampant in Camelot, causing the three "witnesses" the emotional trauma of terror. Aredian also used the fear to manipulate those who he interviewed as suspects of sorcery into appearing guilty. (The Witchfinder )
- Morgause and Morgana used the mandrake root to mentally torture Uther Pendragon by bringing out his worst fears. (The Tears of Uther Pendragon) A few years later, Morgana used the mandrake root again on Gwen who was tormented by visions of Elyan, Arthur and Merlin and other screaming until it seemingly manipulated Gwen to join Morgana. (The Dark Tower)
- Morgana emotionally tortured Uther by executing innocent people during her brief rule over Camelot to mirror Uther's actions against magic and those who possess it. She also verbally abused him, emotionally torturing him by telling him how much she hated him. As a result of this torture, Uther remained emotionally traumatised for over a year until his death, leaving him in a mental breakdown which he never fully overcame. (The Coming of Arthur: Part 2)
Miscellaneous Torture[]
Example:
- Although she was not actually getting information from Merlin when capturing him, Morgana tortured Merlin by inserting a Fomorroh inside his neck so that she could control him to get him to kill Arthur. Inserting the Fomorroh, which borrows into the back of the based of the neck, causes the victim extreme pain. The Fomorroh could also be used to emotionally torture an individual by forcing him/her to do something against his/her will, as Morgana attempted to do to Merlin by forcing him to try to kill Arthur. Had his attempts succeeded, the guilt and remorse Merlin would have felt would have been his undoing. (A Servant of Two Masters)